Aug. 14--Members of the Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport Authority are continuing their search for a new airport manager a month after in-person interviews began.
A potential candidate turned down an offer in July after he decided he didn't want to relocate, but applications are still to trickling in, commission chairman Jon Frantsvog said.
"We have some advertisements out in a couple of forums," he said.
So far the search committee has received a total of about 18 applications for the position, which opened up in June following Matthew Remynse's departure.
Board members interviewed another candidate at its monthly meeting Tuesday. Frantsvog said they have "completed a couple of stages that all occur prior to making an offer."
In the meantime, the airport is getting by with some help from federal and local agencies, as well as from interim manager Ken Kussy, Frantsvog said.
"We are incredibly busy right now as we try to complete our master plan," Frantsvog said. "Having a manager certainly would help us with that plan. Having somebody of (Kussy's) caliber helps with those types of things. It makes waiting out for the right candidate an easier process."
July was a record month for airports across North Dakota: 111,058 passengers boarded an airline in the state last month, the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission announced Wednesday. It's the first July in which boardings have surpassed 110,000 passengers.
Dickinson saw 5,700 boardings last month, up 53 percent from July 2013. So far, 31,489 passengers have boarded planes at the airport this year, more than double the number from this time last year.
Even with increased demands on the airport and growing airport activity, Frantsvog said the board isn't going to rush the hiring process.
"We're not going to hire the wrong person," he said. "Sometimes nothing is better than something. We're going to wait for the right candidate."
Faulx is a reporter for The Dickinson Press. Contact her at 701-456-1207. Tweet her at NadyaFaulx.
Copyright 2014 - The Dickinson Press, N.D.
